Tension as Mnangagwa and Chamisa claim electoral victory :: Kenya

The claims indicated a disputed result in the historic election, raising the prospect of competing fraud allegations and a possible second round in September – required if no candidate wins at least 50 % of votes in the first round.

ZANU-PF has held power in Zimbabwe since its independence from British colonial rule in 1980, and the victory of the opposition would be a major upheaval.

Analysts said that it was not clear whether the country's military generals, who ousted Mugabe and brought Mnangagwa to power last year, would accept a Movement victory for democratic change.

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The defeat for the ruling party would probably lead to "a denunciation of the election by the Mnangagwa administration and the possibility for the army to intervene to secure the power of ZANU-PF ".

– Looking forward to the results –

"I'm afraid – will there be troubles?" Stone Sibanda, a 39-year-old taxi driver in Harare, told AFP. "It's a very sensitive moment, everyone is anxious.

The turnout was about 75% before the closing of the polls on Monday night after a day of peaceful voting.

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The first election results – presidential, parliamentary and local – are expected on Tuesday, and full results are expected for Saturday.

In a polling station in the capital, Harare, officials counted large stacks of ballots with the help of gas lanterns and candles late on Monday night.

If necessary, the 5.6 million registered voters in Zimbabwe would be invited to return to the polls to vote in a second round of presidential elections on September 8th.

But 75-year-old Mnangagwa, Mugabe's former right-hand man, was confident for an outright win in the first round.

"The information of our representatives on the ground is extremely positive, patiently waiting for the official results in accordance with the constitution," Mnangagwa said on Twitter.

40-year-old Chamisa, who raised allegations of election fraud several times during the campaign, was also optimistic that her MDC was ready to form the next government.

"Winning in a resounding way … We did very well," he said on Twitter.

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The Zimbabwe electoral authority, much criticized, said on Tuesday that the vote had not been rigged – even though the count was not over yet.

"We are absolutely convinced that there was no rigging … we, at the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, will not steal the choice of leaders, we will not be able to subvert their will, "said ZEC President Priscilla Chigumba.
Mugabe, 94, whose authoritarian regime of 37 years held power during violent and fraudulent elections, voted in Harare alongside his wife Grace after a surprise press conference at his home on Sunday where he called voters to reject ZANU-PF.

– The EU quotes its "faults" –

Election observers from the European Union, previously banned, present for the first time in years, said participation seemed high, but warned of possible problems in the process of vote.

"There are gaps that we have to check, we do not know yet whether there was a trend or a bad organization in some polling stations", told AFP Elmar Brok, chief observer of the EU.

The bloc will present a preliminary report on the conduct of the election on Wednesday, as will the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and teams of the African Union.

Mnangagwa was clearly the election favorite, enjoying tacit military support, state media loyalty and ruling party controls over government resources.

But Chamisa, a young lawyer and pastor who was highly illustrious during the election campaign, sought to exploit the enormous youth vote.

Chamisa Says "Certain Victory" as Eyes Outweigh Mnangagwa